Far Away From Home
by Aqua-Et-Vita
Summary: Leo leaves home in hopes of starting a new life. Hwoarang is at a point where he doesn't know what to do with his own. When the two are forced together in a dingy apartment in Korea, will they be able to help each other find what they are looking for? M/M
1. Chapter One

Far Away From Home

Chapter One

Haliae

**A/N: **I just HAD to do it. I mean come on! _Hwoarang_ and flippin _Leo_! And mind you, since Leo is a boy in my book, this will be slash. And since I'm preteh sure the rating is going to go up, it's definitely going to transform into a yaoi in later chapters. Yup.

I left the journal entries unsigned on purpose :D Can you guess which character they belong to? I'm going to reveal it later, though I'm sure it's obvious :P

**Disclaimer: **I quite obviously don't own Tekken or any of it's characters because…THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CG MOVIE BY NOW…if I did. One that would have given Advent Children a run for her money :D

**Rating: **T for potty mouth

...

_Dear Journal,_

_I found a dead puppy today. _

_It began raining while I was in town on an errand for opa, so I ran for cover under the nearest tree to wait it out. There was a cardboard box there against the trunk that I didn't notice at first. I saw it…when I looked inside. The puppy. He didn't look as if he had been dead long. He didn't have the smell of rot. _

_After the shock left me, I became angry. I can't remember the last time I was so angry… How could someone leave a puppy so small behind without his parents? What kind of monster would take his mother away? And leave him to die alone?_

_I didn't realize I was crying until I was back at opa's old farm, underneath the old oak tree with the cardboard box and a shovel, wiping at my eyes. I didn't want to wait until the next day to bury him when it had stopped raining. I don't think I would have been able to handle the sight or smell of him rotting. _

_So I buried the wet puppy in the mud and set a stone there to mark the grave. It was then that I realized I had nothing to say for him. He had been a stray. _

_Much later, when I went back inside for the night, my opa didn't see any tears._

_Only rain._

...

"Leo! Stay right there!"

The blonde boy of nineteen years jolted before squinting ahead to see who had called him—a girl running towards him across the school yard, dark hair flying behind her. He obeyed, coming to a stop as he waited patiently for her to catch up. The girl stumbled rather clumsily in front of him before resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. When her panting slowed down and her breathing came easier, she straightened. And then flicked him hard on the forehead.

"Hey!"

Leo rubbed at where he had been attacked and stared accusingly at his schoolmate. Her soft features and cheery smile made him slightly woozy though, despite the stinging spot on his forehead. He briefly wondered how on earth such a sweet looking girl could inflict any kind of pain.

"What was that for?" he complained. He wasn't really upset though, just a little curious and a little sore.

"Because I didn't get to see you yesterday, silly" she replied breezily, as if it was that obvious. She flicked him again for emphasis, though not as hard this time, before spinning on her red heels. He watched her march in the opposite direction of the benches where he had initially intended to eat his packed lunch alone. With his best friend's schedule changed and the lack of any lunch buddies, this year the blonde found himself eating alone quite often. Glad that today wouldn't be the same, Leo fought back a huge grin as he rubbed absentmindedly at his forehead again before following.

"…Niklaus told me you were taking care of your grandfather, so you're forgiven" she was saying. When she noticed he was finally walking beside her, she looked up to him, dark eyes bright underneath her long lashes. "Is it alright with you if I come over today after school? To help out?"

He immediately forgot that he was going to ask her why she wasn't eating with her class sisters like she usually did—why she had gone out of her way to seek him out. They were on friendly terms sure, thanks to Niklaus, but this was definitely surprising. Any questions he might have asked were thrown out the window, because when she said _that, _Leo couldn't help the light tinge of pink that dusted his cheeks or the nibble of his bottom lip. He had to look away quickly, instead focusing straight ahead so that she couldn't see his blush.

_Please God, don't let her have seen that…_

Just the thought of having her over—kind, beautiful, wonderful Tabea—at _his _house…and _she_ offered…

He inwardly sighed.

It was too bad that he couldn't have her over.

"You know how my opa gets when he doesn't get a challenge when he's out fighting," Leo responded, trying to keep himself from mumbling in both embarrassment and disappointment. The one day his grandfather chose to stay home was the day Tabea asked to come over. How great _that_ was. Leo could feel her looking at him as he spoke and his blush darkened. "He's really cranky right now, so it's probably best if you didn't"

Leo was sure some of his displeasure had needled its way into his voice and hoped that the older girl hadn't noticed. If Tabea ever got a suspicion of how he felt for her, he would quite literally die of humiliation…assuming she hadn't already. The thought alone made him want to groan aloud.

"Alright. I understand. Is it okay if I come over another time, then?" she asked, somewhat pleadingly. This time she stopped walking and looked up at his face so hopefully, onyx eyes wide and lips parted in anticipation, that he couldn't stand to say anything other than a sheepish "yes". She giggled and continued on, thankfully unaware that his face resembled that of a tomato.

_Tabea wants to come over _my_ house to help _me_ out…_Leo thought in amazement. The blonde suddenly had an indescribable urge to cartwheel in the grass and whoop with glee, but managed to compromise with his giddy emotions with a hearty chuckle. Definitely _not_ a giggle. The dark haired girl responsible for his happiness looked back and smiled again.

"Make sure you bring Niklaus over too. He was really worried, you know" she added.

Leo nodded vigorously, smiling at her nice white teeth and round cheeks. She was so _pretty_…

"Sure" he answered.

...

Hwoarang stretched himself fully, arching off the couch cushions as he worked out the kinks in his back. He looked up lazily at his best friend of who-knew-how-many-years as he walked into the den, arms full of cleaning products before he dumped them unceremoniously on the worn and beaten lounge chair by the coffee table. The older man straightened as his dark eyes scanned over the redhead—wearing nothing but a pair of dingy boxers and the goggles on his forehead—who was lying quite comfortably on his only couch.

That had better not be _his _damn pillow Hwoarang had cushioned between his legs…

"What the hell, man?" he groaned. He frowned at Hwoarang's playful laugh and threw a pillow at him, smack on the face. The grin on the redhead's face only grew wider. Damn him.

"Chill, what's your problem?" Hwoarang asked in amusement as he recovered the pillow from the floor. He positioned it comfortably behind his head as he studied his friend.

"Eagle, you look like shit" the redhead added.

"You'll look like shit in a minute if you don't get your fat ass off that couch" the older man growled. This only warranted a snicker and he frowned moodily.

Eagle was the nickname given to him by none other than the Red Talon himself, when the two had first met many years ago. And it fit. The white American was everything Hwoarang envisioned a soldier from that country to be. He was a freakin' living, breathing G.I. Joe for shit's sake. And perceptive as hell. But as harsh as he wanted to be, he was also one of the greatest people Hwoarang knew. And the closest thing he had to a brother.

"And put some damn clothes on" said friend added. The older of the two was supposedly glaring, but the heated stare wasn't holding much conviction. "You know I'm gonna be having company soon, Rang. I told you that an hour ago"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, don't get your panties in a bunch, old man" Hwoarang replied offhandedly as he stretched again.

The redhead took his sweet time with getting up from the couch, just to grate Eagle's apparently already grated nerves—and judging by the growl he heard, he did. Hwoarang scratched his butt idly as he scanned the small den, contemplating where he had thrown his clothes the night before.

Eagle watched him for a moment, still slightly irritated that the gang leader had pretty much ignored everything he had said. Sighing tiredly, he decided to ask a question that had been bugging him for some time.

"Why don't you sleep at your own place, anyway?" Eagle asked suspiciously."You haven't been kicked out yet, have you?"

And just like that, Hwoarang was painfully reminded of the situation he had found himself in for the past month. Why he could no longer stomach going back to his place most nights. Every night.

For a moment, Hwoarang didn't speak. Just watched as his friend stacked up old beat-up magazines on the coffee table, revealing a glass surface he didn't remember seeing in ages.

He finally shrugged. "I just wanted to crash here. Your house is closer than mine anyway and I didn't feel like riding over there"

_Liar._

"You _always_ crash here"

Eagle didn't sound convinced. At all. And now he was giving him that _look. _The one that peeled away all his fronts and saw everything Hwoarang didn't want him to see. That scrutinizing _look_ that suddenly made the redhead much angrier then he should have been.

"And since when in hell did _you_ care?" Hwoarang snapped. "It never bothered you before, so why're you being a dick about it now, huh?"

He tried not to think about the fact that he already knew.

It didn't help any.

Eagle gave him a hard look and Hwoarang immediately returned it with one of his own. He knew he was being an asshole at the moment, or a pest in the very least, but he couldn't stop himself. Anger was easier to deal with than other things—and he was _mad. _

"Well first of all, it's _my damn house_, but I won't go there," Eagle began harshly.

Hwoarang snorted. "Gee, thanks"

The older man sighed and gave him a look that he didn't recognize. It looked out of place on the otherwise hard features of his face. "You haven't forgotten about Meeyon, have you?"

The redhead groaned out loud at the mention of her name and decided not to comment on the way he had looked at him.

Of course he remembered. Though God knew he didn't _want _to. The disgusted look on his face must have shown how he felt because then he heard a laugh, and just like a switch had been flipped, the tension between them dissipated. And Hwoarang was glad. Meeyon's name had brought up stirrings of emotion that had been messing with his health lately and he didn't want to deal with that now. Or ever, for that matter.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember your _lady friend_. You're getting soft on me, old man" Hwoarang said, wanting to keep things in the sense of normalcy that they both knew. It had taken some effort not to call Meeyon what he had actually been thinking and hoped his friend hadn't noticed. Hwoarang smiled easily at the older man, swallowing down a few choice words he had reserved just for the likes of her.

"Look at you…you're even cleaning everything and she isn't even here yet" he started, watching as Eagle shot him a measured glare. "No wonder you're so pissy. You're already like her little bit—"

"Finish that sentence and I'm shoving this bleach spray up your ass" Eagle warned, holding the bottle up threateningly.

Hwoarang laughed at that, forgetting for a moment that he was upset.

"You kinky bastard" he said, smiling. "I never knew you swung that way"

The glare intensified, but the redhead continued on. "I wonder what Meeyon would say if she knew you wanted to get in my pants" Hwoarang couldn't help but give him a lewd smirk as he wiggle his brows, cocking his hips in a suggestive pose.

Before he knew it, he was dodging a spray bottle aimed to his head. Hwoarang was unable to hold back the laugh that escaped him as it fell harmlessly on the sofa behind him. He turned back and grinned impishly at his friend who was trying very hard to look angry.

"Get the hell out" Eagle demanded, failing miserably to fight the smile of his face completely. "And put your damn clothes on. You left them on my bathroom floor, dumb ass"

"Dammit, don't rush me, I'm leaving" the redhead retorted back as he held up his hands in surrender.

Feeling much better than he had before, Hwoarang walked over to the coffee table and made to slide between his larger friend and the lounge chair when a hand on his elbow stopped him.

It was that same look from before that made the redhead freeze. The one he was unfamiliar with, coming from the hardened American.

"You know," Eagle began softly. "When Meeyon moves in, you won't be able to crash here anymore, Hwoarang. And I won't be able to hang with the gang like I used to"

And to top it all off, he had to call him that. Hwoarang _hated_ when Eagle called him by his first name like that. He never did it unless he was saying something he knew the redhead wouldn't like. And despite the comforting hand on Hwoarang's arm and the gentle quality of Eagle's voice as he spoke, the underlying resolve there was strong and unquestionable. When the older man spoke like that, Hwoarang knew there was no room for argument.

A little annoyed, probably because he hated to be spoken to as if he'd be crushed, probably because deep down he knew that he was, Hwoarang snorted and snatched his elbow away.

It wasn't like he didn't _know_.

"Don't flatter yourself. I could care less" he snapped, angry with his long-time friend and himself. The childishness of his behavior even made _him _want to wince, but Hwoarang couldn't take it back. So he just plowed on.

"Hwoara—"

"And we can make just as much without you. Don't underestimate my gang"

The redhead smirked at him then, hiding his turbulent feelings behind a well-rehearsed facade of indifference and arrogance. He didn't want to deal with the conversation he had felt coming. He didn't want to talk. Not now.

Eagle said nothing, just simply stared back at him, with that glaringly unreadable expression that Hwoarang was so familiar with. He was bullshitting and Eagle wasn't buying the crap. But the older man must have known the fragility of Hwoarang's state of mind, because he didn't call him out on it. And he was grateful.

But Hwoarang knew he would be bringing this up again.

...

Yes :D Finished~ This has been floating around in my computer for a while, so I decided to edit and post it. The 2nd chapter is half done already, I'm just at a little road block with it, haha. I wanted a little break from **My World**, which I won't be updating until I get a certain amount of reviews *pumps fist*

On another note, who agrees Leo is too cute not to be in a slash fic? I mean, heck, I customized my Leo with these cute black shorts and boots, gave him a little hoody, shoulder length hair, and every time I see him I get a nose bleed xD

I won't entertain any comments trying to convince me Leo is a girl, so don't bother. I have all the arguments I need right here: /leo_ Now comments on how you liked/disliked the story, any critiques and things like that, are a totally different story :)

Peace out!


	2. Chapter Two

Far Away From Home

Chapter Two

Haliae

**A/N:** This is just the second part to chapter one—I split it. While editing it (I always edit before I post a new chapter) I realized it didn't need to be that long. Chapter three is coming next~

If you want, you can go back and reread chapter one and this chapter, it flows better, haha. **poke poke**

**Disclaimer: **If it means that much to you, go read the disclaimer in chapter one.

...

Leo knew his grandfather wasn't there when he walked into the house. As he closed the door behind him, the blonde could feel the emptiness of the place as easily as he could the chill creeping up his arms as it chased away the warmth from his skin.

He should have known better than to think his grandfather would keep his promise and stay home. There was a fleeting sense of irritation of not having Tabea over when his grandfather _wasn't even there, _but he pushed it aside. At least he had tomorrow. And now he had time to prepare.

He was known for being an optimist.

With that in mind, the blonde walked into the kitchen and flipped on the switch before dropping his school bag on the table. Leo stood then with his hands resting on his hips as looked around the room, running through all the things he needed to do.

The house was still clean he knew because no one had stayed long enough to make a mess of it since that morning. Though his room probably needed some work. But he could do that later. The frozen beef and pork he had left out had to be defrosted by now, so he could start on the goulasch first for the night.

_That should cheer opa up a little… _

Deciding he would start with dinner first, Leo began pulling out ingredients for the meal—the noodles had to be around _somewhere—_as he contemplated whether or not he would make dessert. His grandfather was prone to be away during the day, only slumping through the door late in the evening and even later if his day had been bad.

The old man had been a respected well-known Kaimen Bajiquan master, one of the best in the world in fact. It was he who had taught both his mother and himself when they were young. He even had his own training hall, where he trained his students on weekends down in the city.

But when his only daughter died, Leo´s mother, he…crashed.

His grandfather had offered Leo his home, but it was a shadow of what his own had been like. In the beginning, his grandfather drank and gambled a great deal of his money away and even gave up his school. Despite the choice being his own, Leo knew the loss made a great impact on the old man. Afterward, he took to fighting on the streets or any training hall he could find. Most nights, he came home drunk with slurred complaints of the lack of challenges he found. When he was like that, Leo knew he was best left alone. Those nights, the blonde ate the dinner he made by himself. He wrapped up his grandfather's portion so he could eat it later, knowing he would be gone when he got ready for school the next morning. Leo knew the old man didn't like being coddled _at all_, but he always tried to make his favorite dishes to lighten up his mood, if only a little. Making desserts for his old master was risky—he would usually complain about not needing to be 'spoiled' when he was ranting during the night—but even so, Leo always saw the empty treat container in the sink.

Little things like that were the reason why Leo couldn't be too mad when his grandfather broke his promises to stay home on his good days. Days when he could look up from his feet and see the broken pieces of his home. During those times, Leo could see the guilt in his dark eyes as clearly as he could the worried lines pulling down his cheeks and the deep creases marring his brow. The rare times he did make good on his promises, his old master would spend time with him out in the beautiful expanse of his yard, paradise compared to the chill of the empty house.

His grandfather never trained with him though, like he had before the death of his mother. And always, always he would return to that slough of depression. He always went back to sludge through the pain and the hurt that he couldn't seem to pull himself out of.

Leo felt the beginning of tears well up in his eyes and he hastily rubbed them away with his sleeve.

"No, I can't think like this. I have to be positive! Things will get better" he proclaimed to himself, pumping his fist in determination. "I just have to do my best"

The young blonde looked at the pot of boiling noodles with renewed vigor and a nod of his head. He would make the best goulasch ever!

...

It wasn't until around 11 p.m. when Leo, sitting cross-legged on his bed in his button-up pajamas, heard the jingling of keys and the creek of the front door opening. Leo moved from the kitchen to his room hours ago, where he had been doing his homework for the day after taking a long shower. He had picked up a number of things at the grocery store he could cook for his company tomorrow and was pondering on what would be best to serve them in between solutions of the math problems in his textbook.

He immediately straightened as he strained to hear the sounds his grandfather made as he made himself comfortable in the house.

"…damn louts…couldn' fight there way outta a wet paper bag!"

Leo could hear him quite clearly, even while being on the second floor with his door shut. Despite the gravity of the situation, Leo was often times amused, as he was now, of the opinions his opa announced of those he had fought against. He never laughed though.

_Slump._

That was his grandfather dropping his bag by the door.

_Shoosh._

That was his grandfather getting another case of beer.

_Screeeeech._

Leo imagined that the old man had stumbled into one of the end tables, forcing it to scrape across the floor.

"Argh! Durn furniture…wure's that boy? Leo! _Leo_!"

The young blonde sighed. Closing his textbook, Leo slipped his feet into his slippers and slowly made his way out of his bedroom. Looking down from the loft, Leo could see his grandfather stumbling to the sofa, beer in hand. He took a long swallow before grabbing the remote from the coffee table.

"Opa?" Leo called down. The old man didn't bother to look up at him, just took such a long swig from his can that Leo cringed before he slammed it down on the table. He was in the process of opening up another when he spoke again.

"Ge' down here, boy"

Leo silently obeyed. He descended down the stairwell with the same heavy sense of trepidation that always weighed in his stomach before he spoke to his drunken grandfather. For the moment, the elderly man stopped drinking, forlornly holding his beer can and staring at the rim as if he was really seeing it for the first time. He didn't even address the blonde until he had been standing in front of him for a full minute, waiting patiently, eyebrows creased.

"There wasn' anyone worth...two cents tonight" he finally said.

Leo didn't say anything.

"Those durn _brats. _Imma Baj'quan...Baj'quan _master_! They have no respect. No respect. Imma Baj'quan master, you know"

"I know opa" Leo answered agreeably. The young blonde could tell someone had said something to disturb him, though who or what, he didn't know. Usually his grandfather never let such things bother him. The fact that he was so troubled now, looking so _defeated _with his slumped shoulders and downcast eyes, was downright _scary_.

"Opa…" Leo began. He bit his lip, unsure at first before he gently touched the elderly man's shoulder and spoke again. "Opa…maybe you should lay down. Let me help you up"

Instead of batting him away like the Leo expected, his grandfather grabbed hold of his arm and tugged until they were both at eye level. Right then, with his nose just a hair-breadth away from his grandfather's, Leo saw just how _old_ he was.

He could count the fine wrinkles branching out in frail skin and the dark spots caught between them. He could see how the heavy bags beneath his eyes seemed to weigh them down—they weighed down his entire face. He just looked so tired, and the stench of alcohol that wafted over the blonde's own face when he spoke made the elderly man seem that much more fragile. That much more broken.

"Do you like it here?" his grandfather asked firmly.

Leo was caught off guard, especially since he was expecting an earful for trying to take care of him. He blinked, his brain slow in processing the question hanging in the air.

_Do you like it here?_

Leo opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. The blonde swallowed and tried again.

"What do you mean? Here with you?" Leo asked, voice soft.

"No, no, no. Here'n Germany. Here"

Leo thought of his father, of his mother and his old home. Before he had moved out of the mansion, unable to live there by himself. Before everything had gone wrong. He thought of life living with his grandfather, of the nights he sat worrying about the elderly man until he fell asleep. Worrying whether or not the heartbroken man would gamble away all of the money his mother left. Whether he would go out one night and not make it back home. He thought of Niklaus, his best friend, and Tabea. Beautiful Tabea and her beautiful smile and her beautiful laugh and how he still hadn't gotten the chance to tell her how he felt.

The answer came surprisingly easy.

"I love it"

The dark eyes that had been staring him down disappeared behind weary eyelids. He was released.

"I can get t' bed myself, boy. Ge back to your room"`

Leo stood confused as his grandfather awkwardly picked himself up, the alcohol in his system making him sway a bit when he was on his feet. Despite his grandfather's command, Leo stayed at his side, ready to catch him if he fell. When the old man began to move, albeit rather clumsily, Leo followed him as he slowly ambled his way to his bedroom.

His grandfather paused at the door, swaying as he reached for the knob. Leo held his breath as he wrestled with it, slurred curses and the jittering of the doorknob the only sounds in the large house.

Leo didn't dare offer help. He simply waited until the elder finally managed to open the door, grunting in irritation when he did. He took a step forward and paused at the threshold, hand resting on the doorknob. Leo watched him, knowing that his grandfather had been disappointed somehow. By what he had said. Anxiety gnawed at his insides but he held his ground.

And waited.

Then, without a word, his grandfather stepped into his bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Leo stood there a long time, staring at the polished wood, before he looked down to his slippers.

"Goodnight, opa" he whispered.

...

"Hey there, sweetheart. I haven't heard from you in a while. How's life been treating you?"

Hwoarang's grip on his cellphone tightened in irritation. He would normally tell the woman that was entirely because it was only when her man-toy had gotten tired of her that she decided to call. As it was, the redhead was in a sour mood and didn't particularly feel like dragging out the conversation any longer than it had to be.

"Cut the crap, Eun. What do you want?" he asked tiredly.

He heard a tinkling laugh in response and more so than usual, he felt the sensation of nails clawing the inside of his ears.

"Ouch. Why so sensitive hun? I'm just calling to see how you're doing"

_And why do I find that so hard to believe?_

"I don't feel like dealing with you right now, so—"

"So why answer the phone, then?" she replied, her voice all silk and honey.

He hated it.

He was very capable of ignoring her calls, had done so more often than not over the years. There was only one reason he ever dealt with the woman, and she knew it too. Hwoarang decided a large part of why he could hardly stand her was for exactly that.

The redhead slipped a little further in the bathtub, letting the lukewarm water slip around his shoulders.

"Be here by 10:00"

...

"Argh! But they make me so _mad_!"Leo cried, pulling at his hair in frustration.

Niklaus kept silent, waiting for his friend to finish his venting. The two boys were walking up the hill to the blonde's house, just returning from school. And apparently Leo had had another upsetting run-in with his class brothers before meeting up with him.

"Those idiots are always making fun of me" Leo continued, his top lip pulled back in a snarl. "Calling me _pretty_. I'm not pretty!I'm a _boy! _Boys are _not pretty_! And they said I was—ugh! If I didn't promise to stay out of trouble, they'd be eating through a straw right now"

"…You shouldn't let what they say get to you, you know. They _want_ to make you miserable" Niklaus pointed out, trying really hard to fight off a smile at the blonde's distress. He knew Leo had been called worse by that group in the past, much worse, but given the hostility the blonde felt towards them, Niklaus was sure they could call him by his name and he'd go reaching for their throats. He had to cough to conceal his laugh. "Forget about those jerks" he added. "Don't let them drag you down to their level"

Leo pursed his lips and glared ahead, knowing what his friend was saying was true, but not wanting to listen to reason. He would have liked to give the boys a few broken bones, but he knew he had made a promise. He hadn't fought in close to a year—which was probably why they put him more on edge than usual. Messing up his record over a group of brain-dead monkeys was nothing short of stupid. Though…defamation of their name from his friend would have been nice.

"So…is Tabea coming?" Niklaus asked suddenly.

Leo's mood instantly brightened. "Yup! She should be coming soon!" He actually did whoop this time, not caring if the other boy saw. The brunette already knew of his attraction to her anyway. His face felt like it would split in two, he was smiling so hard.

"She asked herself, you know. I didn't even _mention_ it. She was so pretty today too, not that she isn't always, though. I wonder what she'll be wearing?" Leo turned to his friend and was surprised to see a frown on his face. He stopped.

"What's the matter, Niklaus?"

The older brunette shook his head and smiled back, his dark blue eyes crinkling. "It's nothing, Leo. Let's hurry up before Tabea gets to your house before us"

Leo nodded in agreement, pushing aside the uncertainty that had poked at his thoughts. He listened as Niklaus complained about his Swedisn teacher as they trekked the rest of the way to his grandfather's house, enjoying the gentle warmth of the sun peeking through the clouds.

When they finally made it, Niklaus was panting slightly, still unused to the hike to the old house. Leo gave him a pat on the shoulder before continuing on to unlock the door and let them both in.

"Leave the screen door unlocked for Tabea" Leo called back to Niklaus as he shuffled out of his shoes.

Niklaus followed suit and sighed in relief as he let the door shut after him. Leo laughed at him and watched as he made a beeline for the couch.

"What about cleaning?" Leo asked in amusement. Niklaus put a throw pillow over his face as he laid himself out comfortably, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm going to rest up a bit" was his muffled reply. "I'll meet up with you in a minute"

Leo snorted. "How come you're always tired after the walk here?" he scoffed, lifting a brow.

"We can't all have inhumane amounts of stamina"

"The school is like, fifteen minutes away"

"By what? Plane?"

Leo laughed then and waved in dismissal at his friend. "Okay, whatever. I'm gonna start dinner. We can start working on the shed after we eat"

Niklaus made an uncommitted sound of approval and Leo went to the kitchen to set his things down on the table. He went to the refrigerator first to make himself a glass of lemonade as he contemplated what he should make with the pork he had taken out. A movement from the kitchen window caught his eye before he heard a crash and he looked up. Setting his glass on the counter, he moved closer, resting his hands on the edge of the sink as he peered outside.

A branch had fallen from the old tree in the backyard. Leo knew immediately it had fallen on the grave he had made a few weeks before. The blonde frowned to himself, trepidation making his stomach clench as he stared.

"Leo?"

The blonde spun around, his eyes widening in shock when he saw Tabea standing there, smiling warmly. _Well that was quick, _Leo thought, but even then he couldn't help but smile back. He mentally shook the unsettling feeling that had caught him off guard.

"So, you made it" Leo said breathlessly. He was at awe. The older girl looked unbelievably pretty in her pink sundress, dark hair swept back in a loose ponytail. She giggled in response to him and shrugged.

"Yeah…" she answered. She looked around the kitchen briefly before smiling again, turning to him with a raise of her brows.

"So what are you up to?" she asked conversationally.

Leo blushed and scratched the back of his head idly. "Well…I'm about to make dinner. I was thinking about making Rouladen, but—"

"Oooh! That sounds good, Leo! I love Rouladen! Can you make potato dumplings with it too?"

"Ahhhh…"

"Tabea…you're here"

Leo looked to the doorway to see Nicklaus standing there, looking slightly dazed from waking up. Tabea clapped her hands together. "Well, yeah! I went over to you, but you were knocked out"

"Sorry…" the older brunette answered back, without looking too sorry about it at all. He was even smiling a little, to which Tabea pouted a little at, making Leo laugh. Niklaus looked to him then, sobering a bit before he spoke.

"Is it alright if I show Tabea around while you cook?"

Leo blinked at the excited squeal that came from the object of his affections, her dark brown eyes lighting up as she spun around and took his hands in her own.

"Is that okay, Leo? Your house is so big! And it's so nice too"

Leo felt his face grow hot and he had to look away, looking instead to his friend in the doorway who did not meet his gaze. He really looked out of it.

"I don't mind. We can get started after I finish with dinner" Leo answered, grateful that he was able to speak loud enough to be heard. Tabea released his hands with a brilliant smile and bounded out of the kitchen, Niklaus following after a moment's hesitation.

"We'll be in the entertainment room when you're ready" Nicklaus said with a nod before leaving.

"Okay"

Leo sighed when he was gone and ran a hand over his face. He was really pathetic wasn't he? The blonde was sure he was still blushing when he felt how warm his face was. Ugh.

Yet…

Leo was inexplicably happy.

Tabea was here, in his house, and she seemed to be in a very good mood. More so than usual. Maybe he could…tell her how he felt…

His face grew warmer at the prospect, but he felt brave. Niklaus was here to give him support! And he felt brave. He could do it…

The young blonde drained the water out of the sink and began unwrapping the defrosted pork, thinking about how he would confront her. A sort of nervous excitement was thrumming through him, making him restless as he washed the meat.

And not once did he look out the kitchen window again.

…

Thanks for reading~


	3. Chapter Three

Far Away From Home

Chapter Three

Haliae

**A/N:** Much thanks to everyone who reviewed! :D You made my day~ Even the nasty 'ol trolls helped. I have 6 reviews 3 Let's shoot for 12! And more? Yeah? Yeah!

**Aurelia Faiza: **Here ya go 3

**Jesserfly: **Awwwww, thank you for your kind words! *hugs***** Reviews like yours make me so happy xD And I absolutely adore Leo too :D Who is one of the cutest boys to ever grace video games~ I hope you enjoy this chapter ,

**Devil's Demon Bird: **Thank you so much! 3 I'm so glad :3 Hwoarang was hard to write O_O and I'm glad you enjoyed his bickering with Eagle~ I really had fun writing it :D And it pleases me to know you find humor in my writing! Though this chapter is definitely going to be on the angsty side...I hope you like it :P

**Lily: **I don't really know how to take that...

**too lazy to sign in: **Haha, sorry about that xD Well, here is the next chapter ;D Enjoy~

_Dear Journal,_

_I read once in one of my father's old journals that love was an immeasurable force, much like the ocean crashing over your head, filling up your lungs—and you couldn't fight it._

_You could only struggle until that moment when you realize that the surface is too far over your head. Too far past your fingertips. And in that moment, when you stop struggling and allow yourself to drown, you forget what it was like to breathe in air. But you don't miss it._

_I always wanted to ask him about that. Did that mean being in love was close to dying? _

_Because I feel like I am._

_..._

Hwoarang rested his forehead against the tile wall, concentrating solely on the near scalding water running down his neck and back, curving along his shoulders and down over his chest. Holding his breath, he straightened and tilted his head back into the shower stream, letting the water flow over his face and throat. Even then, submerged in hot tap water, he found himself thinking—precisely what he was trying not to do. He was thinking and wishing that his problems would run down his legs like the water; that they would wash down the drain with the sweat and the grime from yet another meaningless day.

If only it could be that easy.

He let his head fall again and stared ahead at the dingy blue tile, wondering not for the hundredth time why he was allowing himself to wallow in his depressing thoughts. Why he wasn't out trying to forget. His hand clenched against the wall and he sighed, not even sputtering as some of the hot water spilled into his mouth.

But what could he do now?

Hwoarang didn't know how to mourn.

...

Leo left the food to cool on the stove. He was sorry he couldn't make potato dumplings like Tabea had wanted, but he reasoned that the dessert he had stored in the refrigerator would make up for it. He knew that she loved to eat his Zuckerkuchen—it was usually the first thing Niklaus stole from his school lunches for her. The thought of it made the blonde smile softly to himself.

Rubbing his hands together, Leo gave the kitchen a good once over before deciding he would find Tabea and Niklaus. By the time he brought them down, he figured the food would be cool enough to serve. Leo grabbed his book bag from the kitchen table and slung it over his shoulder as he headed out, flicking the light off after him.

Leo gulped as he climbed up the stairs, realizing that he was now that much closer to telling the beautiful girl of his dreams that he liked her. A lot. That he loved her. He face grew warm again at the thought and he had to stop a moment on the staircase, covering his cheeks with his hands as he willed his blush to go away.

After a moment, he straightened with a sigh and climbed the rest of the way.

_Don't chicken out, Leo!_

The blonde nodded his head to himself in determination, even as he felt his cheeks heating up again. He walked down the hall and stopped at the entertainment room, a door away from his own bedroom. Leo squared his shoulder and inhaled slowly, trying to steady his heart rate before he gave himself a heart attack.

_Don't chicken out, Leo, _he told himself again before gaining the courage to open up the door.

"The food's ready you..." Leo stopped and blinked. "Guys..."

The blonde let his hand fall away from the handle as he observed the empty room before him. It didn't look as if anyone had even been inside. That, or Niklaus had finally learned to clean up after himself. Leo nudged the door close and considered where his two friends might have gone.

He checked all the rooms on the second floor, his bedroom, the bathroom, the balcony even. Frowning, Leo closed the sliding doors and chewed on his lip in thought. Sighing in slight irritation, he decided he would look downstairs again when he heard a noise, something like a thump, upstairs in the attic. Leo felt his curiosity pique and headed to the staircase leading up to the third level of the house. The attic held his grandfather's little library and the blonde had thought for sure his older friend wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near a book after school hours. He couldn't help but be a little curious as to what his friend had found interesting within the dusty old room.

Leo climbed the stairs to the attic, his heart beating a little faster with each step on the stairwell. Soon he came upon the door, which was slightly ajar. Knowing Tabea was definitely in the room was like a kick to his already frazzled nerves and he swallowed. He gave himself a moment to get his bearings—because heck, he was a heartbeat away from hyperventilating—before he pushed the door open, letting light flood into the dark room.

And onto two intertwined figures nestled beside a bookcase against the wall.

Leo dropped his bag.

It was Niklous and Tabea. Tabea pinned underneath Niklous, pink lips swollen and slender fingers tangled in his dark hair. One leg was being held up to his hip, dress hiking up a smooth and creamy thigh. Niklous' hand was there, hidden underneath the pink material.

Tabea's breathless voice reached him and Leo's eyes widened.

He ran.

Down the stairs, to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. His back to the door, he let his head fall back as he looked to the ceiling, breathing heavily.

He saw Tabae there. She was flushed and panting and Niklaus was there too, underneath her little pink dress. Leo choked and slid down to the cold tile floor, bringing his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around them and buried his face into the fabric of his jeans, not bothering to reach up and lock the bathroom door.

He waited for the tears to come.

...

That night, Hwoarang came home to an empty apartment.

But then again, every night he came home to an empty apartment.

When Baek was is in Seoul, Hwoarang would return too worn, too exhausted to notice anything other than the soreness of his muscles and the contentment of having sparred with his master. When Baek was gone, Hwoarang was too wasted to think about anything other than not falling on his face and getting to his bed without vomiting on the carpet.

And when Jin was alive…

The redhead closed the fridge and chugged a liter of soda straight from the bottle. Not as strong as he would have liked, but it was better than nothing.

When Jin was alive, his thoughts were usually occupied with how he could get stronger…strong enough to beat him. Defeat him like Hwoarang knew he most certainly _could_.

And now that his rival was gone, he realized just how _pointless _everything in his life was. There was no goal, no point for him to reach. Nothing to train for, nothing to work towards. And now…_now_ when he walked into his empty apartment, he noticed just that, how empty it was.

He never knew anything could affect him this bad, especially the death of his _rival_. But his master was gone again, the fights for his street gang were routine at best, and his best friend was slipping away. Or as he was constantly reminded, already gone—along with the end he had once saw for himself.

In it's place was the realization that he had nothing in sight afterward.

Suddenly, he had the greatest urge for a drink.

Hwoarang turned around and flipped the lights off as he headed back to the front door. He locked the door behind him.

He wouldn't be back anytime soon.

...

Leo stared down at his food, hands moving on their own accord to cut the roulade on his plate into thin little slices. There was a thick cloud of tension that had settled over the table. It weighed down the air—Leo could see it in the way Niklaus's shoulders slumped and his head hung low. Leo knew he must have looked the same, but he was too concentrated on ignoring his two _friends_ that he didn't pay it too much attention.

Of course he wasn't able to ignore them. Not really.

As much as he told himself that he didn't care, the blonde couldn't help but notice Niklaus opening his mouth at times and being unable to say anything after. Or Tabea's mindless nervous chatter about inconsequential things, the only sound in the room beside the whirring of the ceiling fan above them.

Leo hardly noticed that she had stopped talking until he heard an airy laugh cutting into the silence of the room. The sound sent his heart skipping; chased his breath to a place in his throat where it stuck. He was looking up at her before he could think of why he shouldn't. Why it wasn't a good idea.

Tabea was looking at him from across the table apologetically, dark eyes swimming with a genuineness that made the food in Leo's stomach churn. The fact that he couldn't look away didn't help the matter.

"I'm so sorry, Leo" she said sweetly. Long lashes lowered. "I bet it was awkward seeing us together like that. I mean...Niklaus is like your brother, right? I'd feel weird too"

If possible, the weight in the air doubled. The knife in Leo's hand stopped moving across his plate as his heart fell.

_She didn't even know._

Niklaus coughed.

"Oh! I know! You don't have a girlfriend yet, right Leo?"

There were so many things Leo wanted to say to that—_I wanted you to be my girlfriend. No other girl was able to compare to you_—but his tongue evaded his thoughts and he found he couldn't speak. But Tabae plowed on, apparently finding his dazed expression and lack of response answer enough.

She was smiling, white teeth flashing between rosy pink lips. Leo remembered that Niklaus had been kissing them.

"Maybe we can find you a girlfriend"

_Stab._

"Is there any girl you like?"

_He never had a chance, did he?_

Niklaus coughed again, louder this time.

"Yes" Leo answered quietly. He didn't recognize his voice in his own ears, almost as if it belonged to someone else. He was surprised to hear that he had spoken—his throat seemed too dry to get any words through.

"Oh! Who is she? Maybe Niklaus and I can—"

"Tab. I think we should go"

Leo would have been surprised to hear Niklaus speak, if not for the surge of anger he felt boiling underneath his skin or the numbness that settled over him after. He heard Tabea complain in response after that. She wanted to stay longer. They had to help with the dishes. There was no school the next day. But Niklaus was already ushering her away from the dining room table—there were things he needed to do and he wanted to take her home—and Tabea followed the motions.

Leo followed after.

Being taught for years to be the perfect host, the perfect gentleman, he saw his two friends out. Forced a smile when Tabea smiled and somehow managed a goodbye when Tabea said hers. Niklaus was quiet the entire time, letting the bouncing girl beside him fill in the spaces of silence. His dark eyes averted Leo's own and when Tabea stepped passed him onto the porch, Niklaus stepped down too.

For a moment, his friend since as long as he could remember stood on the porch, lips pressed into a thin line.

Some part of Leo hoped that he would say something. Anything. Something he could work with. Something to let him know why his best friend was dating the girl he had been crazy about since they were both children. How he was able to keep it from him for goodness knows how long. And smile in his face when he talked about how much he wanted to be with her.

The brunette sighed and stepped outside of the porch into the chill of evening, closing the screen door behind him.

Leo felt his fingers twitch on the door frame and he opened his mouth to call his friend back.

Through the mesh of the porch screens, Niklaus's hand found it's way to the small of Tabea's back at the same time she stepped closer to him. The two began their march through the grass, heads bowed and shoulders touching as they talked amongst themselves.

In the end, Leo closed the front door without saying a word.

The sound of the door closing resounded in his head and off the walls in the suddenly empty house. Exhaling shakingly, Leo's feet carried him through the sitting room and back to the dining room table. He found himself standing over the chair where Tabea had been sitting, looking down at her china plate when he saw a raindrop fall on the leftover food. More fell and Leo began to realize that they were coming from his face.

Frowning, he wiped them away angrily with the back of his sleeve. He hadn't cried in the bathroom and he wouldn't cry now. Tears never fixed anything.

With that in mind, Leo collected the plates on the table, ignoring the chill that ran his blood cold when he stacked Niklaus's own on top.

Washing the dishes helped keep his mind off the hurt only minutely—Leo was glad he waited to wash the pots—so the blonde threw himself into other things. He swept and mopped, reasoning he should do it a second time before bed. He cooked dinner for the next day. The rouladen from the night could be eaten again for lunch. He washed those pots and pans too.

And as he worked, he still couldn't keep away thoughts from the day. He saw Tabea and Niklaus intertwined together on the floor tiles and holding hands in the dishwater. A flattening sense of betrayal made his trek up the stairs for more cleaning products—when was the last time the closet was cleaned out anyway?-twice as long as it should have been.

By the time Leo was too exhausted to do much else, those thoughts were a faint and wispy clutter in his mind. His calves protested another climb upstairs, even for bed, so he trudged over to the living room couch where he collapsed. 

Later he had a dream where his grandfather walked in and sat in the lounge chair beside him. The elderly man sat there in the darkness of the room for some time before Leo felt cool fingers touch his cheek. And then he was gone.

...

Yay! An update! I'm sorry if it seems rushed D: This chapter gave me quite some trouble,haha. Please leave a review, it doesn't matter how small. I want (need, yeah, I'm desperate) to see what you guys and gals think.

I think there will be one more chapter before our two boys meet. I can't wait!

Thanks for reading~

Oh and yeaaaaah, how surprised were you guys with the whole Niklaus and Tabea thing? I tried dropping hints but I'm not sure if I failed with that or not...


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